Message of the SSSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Soviet Embassy in Poland regarding the Reaction of Some Communist Parties to the Information from the Central Committee of CPSSS of July 11 about the Situation in Czechoslovakia

1968, July 14, Moscow – Message of the SSSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Soviet embassy in Poland regarding the reaction of some Communist parties to the information  from the Central  Committee of CPSSS of July 11 about the situation in Czechoslovakia.^[1]

            Todor Zhivkov informed Comrade Puzanova in the evening of July 13 that the Romanian ambassador in Sofia had visited that day Comrade Velčeva, secretary of the Central Committee of Bulgaria’s CP, and as directed by the leadership of Romania’s CP said that comradely parties and socialist countries should not interfere with Czechoslovakia’s internal affairs, that there is a need to have confidence in the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (CPC) and its first secretary comrade Dubček. The leadership of CPC will resolve the situation by itself and the world’s public opinion would, in the Romanian opinion, take a dim view of any intervention. The Romanian ambassador added that similar positions are held also by the leadership of other comradely parties.

            Comrade Živkov and members of the politbureau of the CC of Bulgaria’s CP who were present during that conversation with Comrade Puzanov evaluated the position of the Romanian CP like this: It is a direct attempt to prevent actions agreed upon in Warsaw, support revisionists in CC of CPC. Romanians will try to persuade Comrade Tito to step forward with the same statement. Of course there will some comradely parties which will be inclined to [[oppose intervention]], but nothing will come of it. The information of the CC CPSSS for comradely parties about the situation in Czechoslovakia is a document of far-reaching importance. It correctly evaluates the situation, realistically shows the distribution of forces, and says what needs to be undertaken in such combustive situation to protect socialism in Czechoslovakia. For all of us it is very important that the leadership of the CC CPSSS is wide awake to the situation in CSSR and is ready for any turn of events. We, too, are also prepared.

Luxembourg. Nazor, Leader of the Communist Party of Luxembourg, on the situation in Czechoslovakia.^[2]

            When Comrade Urbany^[3] heard the information of CC CPSSS about the situation in Czechoslovakia, the stated that the socialist camp must definitely use all peaceful – and in the case of absolute necessity, also other -- means at its disposal to prevent counter-revolutionary upheaval in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia, he said, is not Albania of Romania, but it is a frontal wall of socialism in the West on which to a decisive extent depends the equality of forces achieved in a strenuous fight against imperialism, and whose loss would do a disastrous harm to the socialist system. Therefor all socialist countries led by the Soviet Union have to act jointly and resolutely even in the case that counter-revolutionary forces will attempt an overthrow, and not hesitate to use force. Comrade Ulrich expressed a hope that in Czechoslovakia there are forces that will not permit a counter-revolutionary rebellion.

In closing Comrade Urban especially emphasized that the socialist camp (and) SSSR with the support of all comradely parties must take all measures to suppress counter-revolution in Czechoslovakia.

(illegible signature)

USD, sb. KV CFSR, Z/S –MID 28 –Xerocopies typewriter in Russian language. 2s.

^[1]Missing text in the Russian original: ‘’Informacija CK KPSS [dlja] bratrskich partij o polozenniji”…connector “dlja” in the text is missing.

^[2]Since the text of the mentioned Soviet information (about the CSSR situation) is unavailable for researchers, the position of the Luxembourg CP provides important evidence about the extent of measures – including extreme ones -- that the Soviet CP intended to use to resolve the CSSR development.

^[3] D. Urbany – chairman of the CP of Luxembourg.